


forever yours (and you are mine)

by the_crocodile_writes



Category: Disney Princesses, Tangled (2010), Tangled: The Series (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Magic, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, F/M, Flynn pov, Romantic Soulmates, Some angst, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, i mean look i havent written in years because the public school system beat the enjoyment out of me, so this is dusty
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-23
Updated: 2018-03-28
Packaged: 2019-04-07 03:04:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,160
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14071533
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_crocodile_writes/pseuds/the_crocodile_writes
Summary: Flynn Rider meets the woman who is his soulmate, but he isn't her soulmate in turn, and gets stuck taking her on a journey to fulfill her lifelong dream. This won't be painful for him at all.





	1. the prologue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In prison, Flynn reflects on the last few days f his life and says his goodbyes
> 
> content warning: imminent capital punishment

_Sure as a wave needs to be near the shore_

_You are the one I was intended for_

_Deep in your eyes, I saw the god’s design_

_Now my life is forever yours_

 

_~ a cell, in the dungeons of Corona’s castle ~_

 

Flynn Rider stared out the window into the empty courtyard, his hand wrapped loosely around on of the iron bars that was obscuring his view. He could smell the sea from here. Whose idea had it been to build a castle on a tiny island? Without any hope, he gave an experimental tug. The bar held fast. Flynn winced, as the movement reopened his newly scabbed over knuckles. The thief had spent hours beating on walls, screaming his voice hoarse, demanding to see the king and queen.

Night turned to dawn, and no one had come, of course. They had heard of the criminal’s silver tongue, the uncanny ability he had to talk his way out of dire situations. Now that he was finally in their grasp, they wouldn’t be taking any chances.

Flynn turned and slid down the stone wall, sinking down and hugging his knees to his chest. He couldn’t fathom a way out of this one, no matter how he looked at it. He knew what the punishment for his crimes would be. To be hanged until death. Flynn had always known that this was a possibility, and in any other case, he might have already resigned himself to his fate. But then he had met her, his soulmate, and now every part of him craved survival.

“Coming in, Rider. Do not move from your current position, to do so would mean being slain where you stand.”

Flynn’s head shot up at the sound of the guard’s voice. “Well, lucky me I’m sitting down then,” he breezed, flashing a smile at the guard.

The guard was unimpressed. “I’d advise someone in your position to keep their mouth shut,” he said flatly, as their companion unlocked the door to Flynn’s cell. The first guard entered, bringing paper and a quill with him. “In accordance with Corona’s laws, you are entitled to pen and ink to bid your farewells or settle your estates. Use this time wisely,” the guard cautioned, placing the materials on the floor a few feet away from Flynn. “I’d wager you don’t have long.” With that, the guard exited the cell. The heavy iron bars swung into place behind them and Flynn was locked up once again.

Flynn sprung to his feet, approaching the cell door. “Tell the king I need to see him, please, it’s about his daughter!” he croaked. His voice still had not recovered from hours of begging to be heard.

The guard whirled around with a snarl. “You would stoop so low,” he spat, “to claim to know something of the lost princess the day after what would have been her eighteenth birthday? Their Royal Majesties have just missed the entire childhood of their heir and only child, you would toy with their broken hearts in a pathetic attempt to delay the inevitable? You’re revolting.” The guard turned on his heel and strode away without another word.

“If you cared about this kingdom at all, you would let the them know what I had to say!” Flynn shouted after them. He received no response. Earlier, Flynn might have punched the wall in frustration, maybe kicked at the bars of his cell. But he was tired, and the fight in him was gone. He sighed, running his bruised hands through his hair in frustration. He had to know if she was okay, he needed her to know what had really happened, that for once in his stupid life he had tried to do the right thing.

His eyes fell on the paper and ink the guard had left him. Flynn faltered for a moment, weighing his options. There was one person in the world who could possibly help him now, but they hadn’t spoken in two years, or even seen each other. They hadn’t exactly parted on the best terms either, but Flynn had to take this chance.

He sat down on the floor and picked up the paper. An envelope fell out from between the pages, and he picked it up. After a moment of hesitation, he picked up the quill to address it.

“To Arnwaldo Schnitz,” he wrote. After thinking for a moment, he also whispered one of the few charms that he knew, which would render then contents of the envelope invisible to anyone but the intended recipient.

Flynn steeled himself for the task ahead and dipped the quill into the ink. He began to write.

 

_To my brother,_

_This is the story of how I died. Don’t worry, it isn’t too sad of a story and the truth is- it isn’t even mine. It belongs to a woman named Rapunzel. A kind, brave, and beautiful woman._

_For two days, well, three days now, I had the privilege of being her soul mate and the privilege of loving her, despite that fact that… I was not her soul mate in return. Isn’t that just classic Eugene luck, Lance? But it’s okay. It doesn’t matter anymore. All that matters is her._

_Lance… Arnwaldo, I need your help one last time. It’s up to you as to how this story ends, my part is nearly done. But she deserves to know how this story began. It all started with the sun-_

 

~*~

 

_I am the road leading to no return_

_Secret of life nobody wants to learn_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey MTV welcome to my self-indulgent soulmate AU for Tangled, featuring three of my favorite things, soulmate AUs, Rapunzel/Eugene, and lack of communication due to self-depreciation. Projected length for this is 12 chapters, as well as a prologue and epilogue. (so, 14 basically) come chat with me on tumblr about it if you wish, I’m thecrocodilewrites. Title of the fic comes from “Forever Yours,” from the Broadway musical “Once on This Island.” Due to the presence of soul marks, Rapunzel’s hair, and the fact that Gothel is definitely a witch, I have decided to make this a semi magical au. It’s not going to change the story too much, but it will explain things like Max’s terrifying level of intelligence and his previously inexplicable moral compass
> 
> Song credit: Forever Yours, Once on This Island


	2. i guess we're gonna find out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eugene leaves the orphanage and worries about receiving his soul mark.
> 
> content warning: non-graphic references to child abuse

_I’m waking up at the start of the end of the world_

_But it’s feeling just like every other morning before_

_Now I wonder what my life is going to mean if it’s gone_

 

_~an orphanage south of the capital city of Corona~_

 

Eugene Fitzherbert woke up on the morning of his eighteenth birthday feeling nauseous. Extremely nauseous. No sunlight bled through the splintered shutters and the rest of the house was silent, save for the faint snoring coming from the corner his best friend Arnwaldo had fallen asleep in. Eugene pushed himself off the floor into a sitting position and breathed deeply, attempting to calm his nerves. Eighteenth birthdays are supposed to be exciting. Eighteenth birthdays were supposed to be all about blind hope and guarantees of happiness. Not for Eugene. Today he would be forced to leave the only place he had ever known. Sure, his room was essentially the size of a horse stall, had no furniture (except for one small dresser,) and it always smelled of mothballs, but this was his home... After today he was no longer an orphan, he was just a person who belonged nowhere. Eugene felt lost already.

Another somehow infinitely more frightening thought nagged at him, and Eugene did his best to pointedly ignore it. He was definitely not thinking about anything except for all his childhood memories and the people he had grown up with. Besides, the old priest who had brought him here all those years ago told the head of the orphanage that he had been born in the afternoon. He still had hours to go, he didn’t want to work himself up into a frenzy for no reason. Yet, still…

A particularly loud snore startled Eugene from his thoughts, and he considered throwing something at Arnwaldo. He refrained, and instead slipped outside to start saying his goodbyes to the rundown old building. Eugene tread through the halls silently, a skill he had perfected years ago after one particularly bad beating he had received after waking up a caretaker. He let himself out the back door and made his way to the well. The sun still had not climbed its way over the horizon, and the small yard was bathed in the lonely, gray light of early dawn. Eugene drew a bucket of water and washed his face, grateful for the way the icy water seemed to dull his nerves. If only for the moment.

Puffs of smoke began to curl their way into the sky from the orphanage’s little brick chimney. Someone must be awake, and hopefully starting breakfast. After refilling the bucket for them, Eugene went back into the house through the kitchen door. The woman’s back was turned to him as she tended the fire, but Eugene could still easily tell this was Mariel. The wizened old woman had been at the orphanage for longer than Eugene, and some of the younger children whispered that she had always been there. Some of the crueler children whispered that she was a witch, and Eugene could see why. She was far from friendly, but Eugene had always reasoned that if Mariel had truly been a witch then she would have eaten the children by now.

“Good morning, Mariel,” Eugene said, setting the bucket of water softly down on the table. Mariel looked up at him over her shoulder, raising a bushy eyebrow.

“You’re still here, then?” she asked, turning back to the fire. Eugene paled slightly, all his nerves suddenly rushing back.

“Y-yes, I am,” he cleared his throat, “I hope that’s alright. I wanted to say goodbye to Arnwaldo before I left, but he’s still asleep.” Though that was only partially why Eugene was still at the orphanage, it seemed to satisfy Mariel, who stood up with a huff of exertion. She grabbed a bag of oat flour from cupboard, gave the bag a sniff, and then shrugged. Eugene dragged the cast iron cauldron over to the hearth and hooked it into place. He poured the bucket of water into it, straining as he lifted the heavy object at the necessary, uncomfortable angle.

“So,” Mariel startled Eugene, who had been relaxing by the fire, “see your mark yet?”

“Umm, no. I mean, I haven’t checked or anything. That is, I haven’t seen anything yet, but isn’t it supposed to kind of… hurt? When it shows up?” Eugene looked over at Mariel for confirmation. The old woman made a noise that Eugene could only assume was a chuckle.

“Oh yeah, yeah. Definitely is a bit sore. You would have noticed it right away. Then again,” Mariel paused as she scooped all her ingredients into a large wooden bowl, “your parents weren’t soul mates. So, you might not even get a mark. You know what they say about people like you.”

Eugene looked down at his hands, unable to bring himself to respond to her. He knew very well what people said about children like him, children who were the results of unions between couples that weren’t soul mates. Whispers had followed him from the moment he had arrived at the orphanage, whispers that disparaged the circumstances of his birth. Cursed, they called him. Doomed to have no soul mate of his own, to never receive that all important mark. The mark that arrived on every person’s eighteenth birthday, promising them a lifetime of love with their other half. A soul mark.

Eugene had read a book on this subject years ago. A kind librarian had donated a slew of older and unpopular, books to the orphans. Eugene had never really paid attention to that dusty old tome, preferring to read about a rich explorer and his adventures. He grew curious eventually, about a year ago. He pretended to Arnwaldo that he was just bored of rereading “The Adventures of Flynn Rider,” but in truth he was starting to get nervous.

Soul marks appeared when a person turned 18. They varied in color, location, and size, but one factor was consistent. Soul marks were words that were going to be spoken to you by your soul mate. Specifically, the first words that they exchange with you. The author hadn’t been able to prove if the location of one’s soul mark was significant, but they seemed to think that their placement prophesized significant events in one’s life. And as far as the author knew, the notion that people like Eugene would never get a mark was nothing more than cruel superstition. While that reassured Eugene somewhat, that didn’t make those whispers hurt any less.

“If you want some of this gruel,” Mariel said abruptly, “you better take a bowl now. If Ivyan catches you hanging around long, he won’t be pleased.” Eugene’s eyes widened at the mention of the man who oversaw all the orphans, as well the adults that acted as their caretakers. Eugene quickly fetched a bowl from one of the shelves and held it out for Mariel to ladle the gruel into. He watched her as she scooped the watery substance into his bowl, attempting to memorize the old woman’s face. They had never been close, but it still hurt his heart a little to know that he would most likely never see her again after today.

“Thank you, Mariel,” he said, heading to the door. Mariel didn’t look up from where she was stirring the gruel. He turned to leave, and as he did Mariel cleared her throat.

“Whether or not you get one doesn’t matter, Eugene. You’re not stupid, you’ll probably end up alright,” Mariel said, focusing very intently on her stirring.

“Mariel, I am positively swooning!” Eugene gasped, pressing a hand to his heart. “That has to be the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me,” he crooned, accenting his jovial tone with a bat of his eyelashes. He was absolutely not blinking away tears. After taking one last look at the familiar scene, Eugene left the room.

Back in the room he shared with Arnwaldo, Eugene made quick work of the gruel. Arnwaldo was still fast asleep. Rolling his eyes, Eugene opened the shutters, nudging his friend with his foot as he did so.

“Wake up, you lazy sack of potatoes,” Eugene said, as he headed to the dresser to gather his few belongings. Arnwaldo groaned and flung his arm dramatically across his face. Eugene chuckled.

“Just because its your birthday doesn’t mean you’re in charge of me, Fitzherbert,” complained the younger boy. Eugene opened the top drawer and grabbed his two favorite books, the ones he used to read out loud in front of the fireplace to anyone who would listen. He carefully put them into the leather satchel that had been dropped off at the orphanage with him.

“That’s exactly what it means, compadre,” Eugene shot back, shoving his one change of clothes into the satchel. He grabbed a small drawstring pouch that contained a few coins, and suddenly he was done packing. Swallowing the lump in his throat, Eugene moved to sit next to his friend. Arnwaldo sighed, and finally sat up.

“So, feel different?” Arnwaldo yawned, his white teeth contrasting dramatically with his dark skin.

“Oh yes, my child. I woke up a new man, a wise man, enlightened even,” Eugene nodded sagely, rubbing his chin in what he hoped was a mature manner. “There is no longer anything that I do not know.” Arnwaldo scoffed and swatted Eugene’s shoulder.

 “Sure, alright, Merlin. You know I was asking if you got your mark,” Arnwaldo said, searching his friend’s face. “But I’m guessing by your wise ass remark that that would be a no. Maybe they just got your birthday wrong and you’re actually 12.” Eugene burst out laughing, grateful for his friend’s levity.

 “You would hate that,” the older boy said, “because then you would have to be the one who does all the hard work of finding us employment and lodgings. Instead you get to sit on your lazy bum and wait for me to send for you in a year. It’s disgraceful is what it is.” Arnwaldo clutched his hand to his heart in feigned offense.

 “You wound me. Just because it is true does not mean you should go around saying it!” he cried, reaching over and tousling Eugene’s hair. Eugene shoved Arnwaldo back into his corner, smacking his hand away. The two boys laughed together for a few moments before settling into comfortable silence.

Arnwaldo sighed, “I can’t believe you’re leaving me behind. No, I can’t believe they won’t let me leave with you. What do they care about us anyways?”

“We tried running away before, you know how that turned out,” Eugene said, wincing at the painful memory. “Just hang in there for another ten months. That’s not even a full year, I promise I’ll-“

The door swung open with a heavy bang. A middle-aged man with dark eyes stood menacingly in the door frame. The boys fell silent instantly.

“Fitzherbert. I was surprised to hear you were still here. Say goodbye, it’s time for you to leave,” Ivyan said, not bothering to make eye contact. “You will be off the property in five minutes or I will escort you off myself.” Ivyan turned to leave, “It’s in your best interest to be gone before then.” And then Ivyan was gone, leaving the door open behind him.

Eugene scrambled to his feet, slinging his satchel over his shoulder. He clasped Arnwaldo’s hands and pulled him to his feet. Without hesitating, Arnwaldo pulled Eugene into a bear hug. Despite being almost a year younger, he was already a good deal bigger than Eugene, and his hug knocked the wind out of the older boy.

“Arnie, my man, I’ve got to go,” Eugene wheezed. “Please put me down.” Arnwaldo relented, setting his friend back down on the ground.

“Alright, get out of here then. Hopefully my new roommate will smell better than you. Maybe he won’t shed so much either,” Arnwaldo joked, feigning nonchalance. Eugene smiled, seeing right through his friend’s act.

“Arnwaldo Schnitz, my dearest chum, next time we see each other we will both be free men! And hopefully, we’ll have also changed our names to something way, way cooler.” Eugene Fitzherbert clapped his best, and only, friend on the shoulder, “as for now, I should probably get going before Ivyan realizes I’ve taken two of his books.” This startled a laugh out of Arnwaldo. Eugene turned and left quickly, glad that most recent memory he would have of his friend would be a happy one.

Eugene sped through the house, not caring to say goodbye to anyone else. They might not even notice he was gone, truthfully, and he had probably cut it a bit too close to Ivyan’s five-minute rule. Eugene kept up his swift pace all the way out of the house, down the beaten dirt path, and to the very edge of the property line. Eugene allowed himself one last look at the ramshackle old place before turning and marching resolutely down the road. The weather was uncommonly warm for early spring, and Eugene was grateful for the tall, lush trees that lined his path.

 “Okay, Eugene, this is it. You are an adult now, and you don’t have anyone to tell you ‘no,’ or where to go. Which is- unfortunate, actually. Because I have no idea where to go from here.” Eugene paused, squinting at the horizon. “Aha! A sign post, that will tell me where to go. I really am the world’s best adult.” Eugene continued heading down the road towards the sign post, his confidence renewed.

He had just reached the sign when he felt it, a sharp, twisting sensation in his right side. Eugene gasped and stumbled off of the road. He leaned against a tree for support as the painful sensation continued for what seemed an eternity, though in reality it took no longer than seven minutes for the pain to ebb. All that was left was a dull throb on the right side of his ribcage.

“Good gracious,” Eugene commented, to no one, “You would think that the universe wouldn’t need to take so long when deciding someone’s fate.” Although he was dying to read his soul mark, Eugene forced himself to wait until his breathing pattern had returned to normal. Once he had finally calmed down, Eugene tentatively peeled up part of his shirt. The script was elegant, it curved gracefully to follow the lines of his ribs, and it was… gold? The book hadn’t mentioned anything about gold soul marks.

“Well, that’s unexpected. Good thing I’m so pale, so I can actually see it,” Eugene said, tilting his head so that he could read the first words that his soul mate would exchange with him. The script shimmered in the sunlight with his every movement, and Eugene almost felt a bit vain for thinking it was beautiful.

_“Who are you? And how did you find me?”_

Eugene let out a breath that he hadn’t known he was holding in. He felt warm from head to toe, suddenly giddy in his joy. A soul mate, a real live soul mate. Even better, he was going to find her, and he had proof of that fact written in gold across his lower ribcage. He gently smoothed his shirt back down, grinning from ear to ear like a mad man.

“ _’Who are you? And how did you find me?’_ ” Eugene quoted to himself, “I guess I should go find you then, shouldn’t I?” He looked up at the sign post, debating on where to go first. “Hmm, well, that’s a weird name, sounds like a tavern though. They probably know where I could find some work. And who doesn’t like ducklings? So, it’s settled. ‘Snuggly Duckling,’ here I come!” Eugene started walking once more, towards the tavern and towards his future.

 

~*~

 

_Can you tell me what was ever really special about me all this time?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact, this was originally the prologue.. This is slow but necessary, and things will pick up soon. Also yes, I did change Rapunzel’s first words to Eugene.
> 
> Song credit: How Far We’ve Come, Matchbox 20


	3. living beyond your years

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Flynn betrays his partners, punches a horse, and climbs a tower.
> 
> Content warning: blunt force trauma via cooking utensil

_Icarus is flying too close to the sun,_

_and Icarus’ life is only just begun, this is how it feels to take a fall_

_Icarus is flying towards an early grave_

_~ 4 years later ~_

_~ a forest near the border of Corona ~_

 

“Now help us up, pretty boy!”

“Sorry,” Flynn Rider grinned, “my hands are full.” The young man took off at a sprint, flinging his satchel over his shoulder in one fluid motion. He knew his current pace wasn’t sustainable, but he needed to put as much distance as possible between himself and the Stabbington Brothers. Flynn had witnessed first-hand how the pair had earned that surname and he didn’t particularly fancy being on the receiving end of it. No sooner than the shouts of his former co-workers had faded into the distance than the young thief found himself being set upon by palace guards.

“Retrieve that satchel at any cost!” the captain shouted.

Flynn knew that the guards had crossbows, and he definitely knew he wouldn’t be able to outrun their horses. Evasive action was his best chance at survival. The nimble thief dropped to his knees and slid underneath a fallen tree trunk. Trying not to focus on the sound of arrows piercing bark, Flynn turned sharply to the right. The forest was thicker here, he hoped that denseness of the trees would slow down his pursuers. He kept going at a breakneck pace, ignoring the branches that clawed at his face and arms. As long as his satchel was safe, this would all be worth it.

He dared a glance over his shoulder and found that he had managed to evade all of the guards except for the captain. At least, Flynn assumed he was the captain, since he had both the biggest mustache and the nicest horse. In a moment of inspiration and pure adrenaline, Flynn took a flying leap off of a rock, caught hold of a vine, and managed to use his momentum to swing around the tree. He stuck his feet out and knocked the captain off of his horse, and somehow managed to stay on the horse himself.

It took the horse a few moments to process what had happened. Unfortunately, Flynn soon realized that this was one of the freakishly intelligent animals that were becoming more common in Corona. Trust the royal family to supply their palace guards those unsettling creatures. He found himself battling the horse for his satchel. During the struggle, they both had managed to lose their grip on the leather bag, nearly flinging it over the side of a cliff. It dangled precariously from the branch of a tree that was growing sideways over the lip of the cliff.

Alas, the horse was not as intelligent as one might have hoped. It followed Flynn out onto the tree, trying to stomp on his fingers as he shimmied down the trunk towards his spoils. The combined weight of man and beast proved to be too much for the tree, and it sent them over the cliff with as it gave out with a dreadful crack.

A long and wordless scream escaped Flynn’s mouth as he fell. His mind was racing, desperately trying to process what was happening, but the only coherent thought that came to mind was ‘I can’t believe I’m going to die before I meet my soul mate.’

Before he could spend too much time dwelling on that, Flynn made physical contact with the top of a tree. He fell through its branches, which served as a painful way to break his fall. Still, it was probably less painful than falling directly onto the ground. He briefly wondered what had become of the horse, as he hit the ground. The force of impact ended up sending him half flying half rolling down a small hill and deposited him behind a large cluster of rocks. Despite his body’s protest, Flynn got onto his feet, crouching behind one of the bigger stones. He reached into his satchel and breathed a sigh of relief when his fingers brushed cold metal. Everything seemed to be intact. Flynn was about to stand up fully when he heard hoofbeats heading towards him. He froze, praying to whoever would listen that the horse would go by him.

The universe was smiling on Flynn Rider that day, as the horse ran straight past his hiding place. He stood, exhausted, and went to lean against ivy covered stone behind him. Except, the ivy wasn’t concealing stone after all and Flynn stumbled through the vines into a short tunnel. He decided to roll with it and continued further inside the tunnel. Whatever was on the other side of this tunnel had to be better than where he had just come from. The mysterious tunnel let out into a tiny, breathtaking valley. Delicate wildflowers dotted the lush green grass like freckles, and a strikingly clear stream meandered through the peaceful landscape. There was even a small waterfall towards the back of the valley.

Flynn noticed none of this. All of his attention had been captured by an impossibly tall stone tower. He could see no entrance, save for a window at the very top. Reasoning that the architecture looked ancient, and therefore the building was probably abandoned, he decided to climb the tower. Flynn chose two of his more sturdy looking daggers and stuck them in the spaces between the bricks, pulling up one them to test their strength, as well as his own. The daggers held, shaking noticeably less than his fatigued limbs.

“Let’s hope this works,” Flynn whispered under his breath, to no one. He was starting to feel all of the injuries he had acquired during his escape, and climbing the tower was slow going.

Finally, he hoisted himself onto the window sill and swung his legs over into the dim room. He sighed in part relief, part exhaustion, and reached into his satchel. From it, he produced the reason for his perilous getaway from the royal guards, his reason for betraying his partners in crime, and the reason he had actually punched a horse in the face.

The Sun’s Glory, a priceless tiara worn by generations and generations of Corona’s crown princesses. Corona was currently without a crown princess, which Flynn had heard was a bit of a long story, so figured no one really needed it at the moment. If Flynn hadn’t been so distracted admiring the piece, he might have noticed the candle on the table next to him was still smoking. He might also have noticed the soft pad of bare feet creeping up behind him, accompanied by a rustling sound. He did not notice any of this at all, and was trying to catch his reflection in one of the larger gemstones.

“Alone at last,” he crooned, and suddenly pain exploded across the back of his skull. The pain was accompanied by a very loud clang, and Flynn fell to the ground. The last thing he saw before fading completely into unconsciousness was a blur of gold.

 

~*~

_Your hands protect the flames_

_From the wild winds around you_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this AU Flynn is only 4 years older than Rapunzel. That’s the largest age gap I was personally comfortable writing. Also, for fun irrelevant trivia that I’ll never mention in the story, Flynn is definitely an Aries and Rapunzel is a Gemini, so their birthdays aren’t too far apart. Please message me on my Tumblr, thecrocodilewrites, if you want to talk Disney character zodiac signs. 
> 
> Song Credit: Icarus, Bastille.


	4. before i know the feelings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Flynn meets his soulmate, who immediately robs him and then bludgeons him twice.
> 
> content warning: blunt force trauma via cooking utensil, german sass, bondage, the f word

_What if when he sees me, what if he doesn’t like it?_

_What if he runs the other way and I can’t hide from it?_

_If when he knows me, he’s only disappointed?_

_~ inside the tower ~_

 

A wet, cold sensation snaked its way into Flynn’s ear and shocked him awake. He tried to spring to his feet, but to his horror he found that he was bound to a chair. Flynn’s mind raced, attempting to recall the ways he had escaped from being tied up in ropes before. But after a few seconds of struggling in vain, he came to the shocking realization that this was not rope. He was being restrained by silky, thick, golden… hair. The golden locks wound around his chest, wrists, and legs, and trailed off into the shadows. Flynn squinted into the darkness, trying to see where the hair lead to.

A figure was crouched on a beam that extended from the wall of the tower, towards the ceiling. Flynn omitted an involuntary gasp at seeing the hair he was bound with led right to the head of this mysterious shadow. The shadowy being seemed to take a deep breath and then leaped down from their perch. They hesitated a moment, before squaring their shoulders and stepping into the light.

A beautiful young woman stood in front of Flynn. Her wide green eyes narrowed into a squint, sizing him up. He could tell she was doing her best to appear intimidating, but all he could think about was how cute her freckled nose looked when it was scrunched up into what was clearly her scariest possible facial expression.

“Who are you? And how did you find me?” she asked, pointing a cast iron frying pan at him.

It was as though the world stopped turning. Flynn’s stomach dropped, and then immediately leapt up into his throat. So this was his soul mate. He felt warm all over and impossibly tingly. His blood was rushing so loudly in his ears that he didn’t notice right away when his soulmate started to repeat herself.

“ _Who are you and how did you find me?_ ” she demanded, stepping closer to him as she leveled the frying pan with his line of sight. Right, it was his turn to say something back to her. Flynn took a deep breath and steeled himself, he’d been preparing for this moment for the last 4 years.

“I know not who you are nor how I came to find you, but may I just say-“ His captor raised single eyebrow at him, and Flynn couldn’t stop his face from breaking into a goofy grin, “hi.”

Both of her eyebrows were now raised.

“How ya doin’?” he continued, laying on as much charm as possible, “The name’s Flynn Rider. How’s your day going?” He paused, searching her face for any sign of recognition. She should know by now that they were soulmates, yet she showed no change in emotion whatsoever. Flynn froze, suddenly at a loss for words. Why didn’t she say anything?

“I know why you’re here and I’m not afraid of you,” she said, stepping closer. “Who else knows my location, Flynn Rider?” She said his name like it was an accusation, and Flynn felt a twinge of fear in his heart. What if she knew who he was already, and she didn’t want him as a soul mate? He had developed quite a reputation for himself in Corona in the past few years, after all.

Flynn bristled defensively and his mouth hardened into a thin line. “Listen, blondie-“

“Rapunzel,” she corrected.

“Gesundheit,” he shot back. “Listen, I was in a situation, gallivanting through the forest, came across your tower and-“ he froze, suddenly remembering the satchel and noticing that it was not with him. “Oh, oh no! Where is my satchel?”

Rapunzel crossed her arms, looking ridiculously smug. “I’ve hidden it, somewhere you will never find it.”

Flynn shot a quick look around the tower, before his eyes landed on a pot a few feet away from Rapunzel.

“It’s in that pot, isn’t it?” he asked dryly.

Rapunzel’s eyed widened in panic, and before Flynn could say anything, she darted behind him and walloped him over the head with her frying pan. He blacked out instantly.

 

~*~

 

Flynn was awoken by the same slimy sensation in his ear as before, and he flinched violently, sending a small creature flying off his shoulder.

“Would you stop that?!” he cried, attempting to wipe his ear on his shoulder. He looked inquisitively down at the small creature that had violated his ear with its tongue.  A small reptile glared defiantly back up at him before it scampered over to Rapunzel, disappearing into the curtains of her hair.

“Now it’s hidden where you’ll never find it,” she said all too calmly for a person who had just bludgeoned their soulmate twice in the past hour.  “So what do you want with my hair? To cut it? Sell it?”

“What? No, the only thing I want to do with your hair is to get out of it, literally!” Flynn groaned in frustration.

Rapunzel lowered the frying pan, “Wait, you don’t want my hair?” And suddenly all of her bravado was gone and she looked heartbreakingly unsure of herself. Flynn melted at the sight, and his next words to her were soft.

“No, I don’t. Look, I was being chased, I saw a tower, and so I climbed it. I thought it was empty, but, instead... it wasn’t,” Flynn swallowed a lump in his throat, unable to say the words he desperately needed to. There had to be a reason that Rapunzel hadn’t said anything about them being soulmates and Flynn was frankly terrified to breach the issue. He was fine being ignored, unacknowledged by his soulmate but he didn’t think he could survive being outright rejected by this fierce, adorable young woman.

She seemed hesitant, “And you’re telling the truth?”

Rapunzel inhaled sharply, turning abruptly away from him. His soulmate appeared to be having a conversation with the little scaly thing that had stuck its tongue into his ear twice now. While his two captors conferred, Flynn looked around the tower, trying to figure out where his satchel could be hidden. He soon got distracted by the paintings all over the walls and ceiling. In awe, Flynn wondered if Rapunzel had really done all of this herself. He was startled from his admiration of her when she abruptly began speaking again.

“I’m prepared to offer you a deal, Flynn Rider,” and Flynn wondered why she kept emphasizing his name, “Look this way.” Rapunzel grabbed his chair from behind and turned it to face a different section of the tower. She nimbly climbed on top of the mantel and pushed aside a red curtain, revealing yet another painting.

“Do you know what these are?” she asked, running her hand over the wall. The scene depicted Rapunzel perched on a tree, watching the night sky that was illuminated by a cascade of yellow and orange dots coming from the horizon. The longing in her voice was evident.

“You mean the lantern thing they do for the princess?” Flynn guessed.

“I knew they weren’t stars,” she said softly, pausing a moment before continuing in a louder voice, “Well tomorrow evening, they will light the night sky with these lanterns. You will act as my guide and take me to see these lanterns, and then you will return me home safely. Then, and only then, will I return your satchel to you. That is my deal.” Rapunzel crossed her arms, looking at him expectantly.

“Uh, yeah,” Flynn laughed nervously, “The kingdom and I aren’t exactly on good terms at the moment, so I won’t be taking you anywhere.”

Rapunzel exchanged a look with her frog, and then hopped down from the mantel. Using her hair, she pulled Flynn and his chair closer to her until they were only an arm’s length apart.

“Something brought you here, Flynn Rider. Call it what you will, fate, destiny-“

“A horse,” his panicked brain helpfully supplied.

“So I have made the decision to trust you,” she said, ignoring his interruption.

“A horrible decision, really,” he muttered under his breath.

“But trust me when I tell you this,” she said, narrowing her eyes and leaning towards him. “You can tear this tower apart brick by brick, but without my help you will never find your precious satchel.”

“Let me just get this straight,” Flynn said, clearing his throat. He was painfully aware of how close she was to him. All he wanted to do was to run his hands through his hair and pull her closer to him. People always said that when you first meet your soul mate you become utterly intoxicated by them, and nothing on earth mattered as much as being close to them. Flynn had always wondered if that was an exaggeration, but it was evident to him that the stories were true. “I take you to see the lanterns, bring you back home, and you’ll give me back my satchel?”

“I promise,” Rapunzel nodded. Flynn must have looked dubious, because she continued “And when I promise something I never, ever, break that promise. Ever.” Flynn blinked at her, not sure how to handle all this earnestness. Bitterly, he mused that Eugene Fitzherbert probably would have been a worthier soulmate for Rapunzel. But it had been years since he had been Eugene, and Flynn didn’t think there was a chance of getting him back. Too much had happened.

“Fine,” he sighed, “I’ll take you to see the lanterns.”

“Really?!” Rapunzel squealed. In her excitement, she let go of his chair and he rocked backwards. Still bound to the chair and unable to stop himself from falling, Flynn toppled backwards onto the ground. He hit the stone floor of the tower, a huff of air escaping mouth in a wheeze.

A two-day roundtrip through the forest, into the capitol city of a kingdom in which he was a wanted criminal, with his soulmate who had yet to mention the fact that they were soulmates. Flynn slowly closed his eyes and sighed, “I’m fucked.”

 

~*~

 

_What if I give myself away to only get it given back?_

_I couldn’t live with that._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took way too long to write and it is entirely Pascal’s fault. Flynn for sure has a water sign for a moon and it starts to show in this chapter PLEASE come to my inbox so we can plot their whole birthcharts. thecrocodilewrites
> 
> Song Credit: When He Sees Me, Sara Bareilles


	5. dangerous to dream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a forest therapy session, Flynn takes Rapunzel to the Snuggly Duckling and finds that it's not exactly how he remembered it. Rapunzel becomes a motivational speaker.
> 
> Content warning: alcohol, unwarranted aggression towards trees, consistently misidentifying chameleons
> 
> Here are some new vocab words you'll encounter this chapter:  
> inkonoclast: very negative word for someone with tattoos other than their soul mark. implies heresry.  
> voidbond: a union/relationship of a romantic nature between non-soulmates.  
> loveslate: someone with no soul mark, and presumably no soulmate.   
> (please talk to me more about these words on my tumblr thecrocodilewrites, they were so fun to come up with)
> 
> This chapter is dedicated to the two random guest users that left me kudos, ilysm

_**I can't be what you expect of me,**_

_And I'm trying every day with all I do and do not say_

_Here on the edge of the abyss_

_Knowing everything in my whole life has lead to this_

_~ at the bottom of the tower ~_

Flynn leaned against the tower, enjoying the coolness of the stone bricks against his back. For the most part, he had already recovered from his climb back down the tower and was ready to get going. Rapunzel, however, was still peeking down at him from the tower window. Flynn sighed, and began cleaning his nails with a dagger. They had held up pretty well for his journey up and down the tower but could definitely benefit from a whetstone.

                 Rapunzel still had not joined him and Flynn was almost worried that she had swindled him out of the crown, but then he recalled the sincerity in her eyes.

                _“’Never, ever, break that promise,’”_ Flynn mumbled to himself, “I wish I could say the same for myself, Blondie.” He sighed, wondering whether it was irony or straight-up cruelty that he had someone so genuine for a soul mate. Tracing his soul mark through his clothes, he looked back up at the tower to check on Rapunzel’s progress only to narrowly avoid being smacked in the face by her hair. Flynn jumped to the side in time to watch Rapunzel swing down from the tower using her hair to do what most people would use a rope for.

                At the last second, she hesitated, stopping just before her bare feet touched the ground.

                “Did you forget your shoes?” Flynn asked.

Either she did not hear him or was choosing to ignore him, as she stared intently at the grass beneath her feet. Finally, she took a deep breath and lowered herself onto the ground.

Rapunzel let out a shaky breath, laughing as she sank fully to her knees. She stretched out onto her stomach, dragging her hands through the thick green grass. She looked over at him with tears in her eyes, but she was smiling widely. When Flynn realized he was smiling back, he looked abruptly at the ground and feigned a cough. Rapunzel took this opportunity to begin sprinting through the valley at a break neck pace, towards the tunnel that Flynn had entered through.

“Shit,” Flynn spit under his breath, and took off after her. He caught up to her in the clearing that he and the horse had crash landed in just hours earlier. Her arms were outstretched towards the sun and her head was tilted back, eyes closed in pure elation as she basked in the light. Flynn felt his heart in his throat.

Rapunzel opened her eyes, “I can’t believe I did this!” Suddenly, her entire expression changed from excitement to fear. With wide eyes, she looked at him. “I can’t believe I did this,” she whispered, cupping her face in her hands. “Mother would be so furious. Oh my gosh, I can’t believe I did this. What have I done?”

For a split second, Flynn thought she was going to run back through the tunnel to her tower, but she turned and began... skipping. She kicked a pile of leaves, sending them flying through the air like confetti. Her ridiculous golden hair dragged on the ground behind her as she frolicked into the trees. Flynn sighed as she disappeared from view.

                “You don’t know where you’re going!” He called after her.  Receiving no response, he sighed and stooped to pick up the tail end of her hair. Hair in hand, he took off at a light jog.

 

~*~

 

_~deeper in the forest~_

 

                It had been an hour of this. An hour of trudging behind Rapunzel as she went back and forth on her decision. Flynn was starting to grow concerned. Perhaps it was best for her to go back to her tower, she was clearly afraid of her mother discovering she had left. As an added bonus, Flynn could probably get the crown back from her without being forced to gallivant around the capital city of a kingdom in which he was a wanted criminal.

Flynn knelt down beside Rapunzel, who was currently on forest floor, hugging her knees to her chest. She sniffled a bit as Flynn cautiously put a hand on her shoulder. To his relief, she didn’t shrink away from the contact.

“I can’t help but notice that you seem a little at war with yourself,” he began. Rapunzel turned her head to make eye contact with him and Flynn was made painfully aware of how close they were sitting. He sprang to his feet, smoothing his hair back as he went.

“Now I’m only picking up bits and pieces, of course,” he continued, feigning nonchalance as he willed his heart rate to slow down, “Forbidden road trip, over protective mother- Seems like pretty serious stuff.” Rapunzel’s eyes grew wide, and her upper lip trembled like she might cry again. Flynn immediately began backtracking, feeling ashamed of himself. “But, uh, let me ease your conscious, this is just part of growing up. A little adventure, a little rebellion, that’s good! Healthy, even,” Flynn wanted to tell her about the time he had run away from the orphanage with his best friend for two entire days before being caught, but he held back. She didn’t want to hear how they had both gotten beaten so badly upon returning that they were coughing blood.

He noticed something green on his shoulder on the edge of his peripheral, and thinking it was a leaf, he went to brush it off. It became clear instantly upon touching it that it was not a leaf, and the descending squeak told him he had accidentally flung Rapunzel’s small reptile off of his shoulder. Flynn looked over at her, nervous she would be upset with him but found she was giggling.

“You really think it’s healthy?” she asked, cocking her head at an offensively adorable angle. Flynn wanted to punch a tree. Instead, he switched directions, deciding it was best for his mental health if Rapunzel went back to her tower.

“Absolutely, you’re way overthinking this,” he began pacing in front of her, “Does your mother deserve it? Well, no. Would this break her heart and crush her soul? _Of course,”_ he propped his foot up on a rock. Flynn crossed his arms, hoping he portrayed determination, and looked back at her, “But you’ve just got to do it.”

Rapunzel’s mouth hung agape, “Break her heart?”

Flynn nodded, “In half.”

“She would be heartbroken, you’re right,” she gasped, scrambling to her feet.

                “I am, aren’t I? It’s a curse, really. Oh bother…” He bit his lip, the very picture of regret, “I can’t believe I’m saying this but I’m letting you out of the deal. That’s right, but there’s no need to thank me,” Flynn stooped to pick up her frying pan. The lizard was perched on top of it, glaring at him. Dropping his charade for a moment, Flynn glared back. This was probably one of those special animals, like that horse he’d had to punch earlier.

                “So,” he scooped up the animal and set it on Rapunzel’s shoulder before handing her the cooking utensil, “Let’s get you and your frog home, I get back my satchel,” Flynn gently grabbed her shoulders, guiding her back the way they had come,  “And you get back a mother daughter relationship based on mutual trust and _voila_! We’ll part ways as unlikely friends.”

                “No!” She said, shrugging his hands off her shoulders, “I am going to see those lanterns!” She accented her declaration by pushing him square in the center of his chest.

                “Oh, come on!” Flynn threw his hands up in the air, frustrated, “What is it going to take for me to get my satchel back?”

                Rapunzel pointed the frying pan at his chin, her nose crinkled as she narrowed her eyes at him. “I will use this,” she warned.

                Flynn swore he could hear a bit of humor in her voice. He sighed, finally resigning himself to this situation.

                “Alright, alright. Come along, blondie, let’s get going,” he said, beginning to head in a direction that he knew would take them to a back road commonly used by farmers on their way to the market in the capitol city, “And no more of this inner turmoil being... outer... turmoil,” Flynn gestured randomly with his hands. “It just slows you down, there’s no use worrying about something you’ve already done. You can’t change it, so you just have to go forward from where you find yourself. That’s the only way to survive, really.” Rapunzel didn’t respond, so he turned to look at her.

                Nothing could have prepared him for the look of concern on her face. Her eyebrows were raised, just slightly, and her lips were parted as though she were about to say something but was hesitating. Flynn stared at her lips just a little too long and found himself once again wanting to punch a tree. Before he did something he would regret, and before Rapunzel could say anything kind, Flynn blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

                “Hungry?!” he asked, noticeably too loud. Rapunzel took a step back, blinking at him.

                “Y-yes? I suppose so,” she said, cautiously.

                “Great!!” Flynn continued, with the same energy as before, “I know a great place for lunch. It’s great. The food is, uh, great and the atmosphere is also great, just great. It is great.” Flynn was taking swift strides through the forest. Rapunzel’s legs were a good deal shorter than his, so she had to jog to keep up with him.

                “Sounds great,” she ventured.

                Flynn nodded resolutely, “It is.”

                Just great.

~*~

 

_~ outside the snuggly duckling ~_

                “Finally,” Flynn wheezed, “Here we are. The Snuggly Duckling.” Flynn hadn’t been there in years, not since the very day he had left the orphanage. It was a wooden building that was built mostly for function over style, as the primary patrons were the local farmers that lived in the area. It was there Flynn had found work. A farmer that lived just on the other side of the border had agreed to give him food and lodgings in exchange for a summer of labor on his wheat farm. 

                Rapunzel leaned against a fence post, panting. They had kept up their rapid pace for the last half hour, and they were both a bit fatigued. “I do like ducklings,” she said.

                “Yay,” Flynn puffed, “Let’s go. I could use a drink.”

                Together they walked down the dirt path that led to the door, at a slow, reasonable pace. Flynn glanced at Rapunzel, checking her expression. She looked a bit tired, but otherwise seemed alright. He felt bad for the difficult pace he had set in the forest, but he didn’t think he could last another second in conversation with her. She was revealing herself to be too kind, and Flynn didn’t know how to respond to that. At least here they wouldn’t be alone, which was a relief to him.

                “Are you ready for the peak dining experience this half of Corona has to offer?” Flynn stepped up to the door and grabbed the handle.

                Rapunzel nodded, clutching her frying pan with both hands.

                “Well then! We shall delay no longer,” he said, opening the door in a sweeping motion. Instantaneously, Flynn was hit with the overwhelming stench of… man. He poked his head inside the door and saw a horde of beefy, unkempt, tattooed men. Their physical build and personal hygiene didn’t alarm Flynn, but their tattoos definitely did. While tattoos were slowly becoming more accepted in other kingdoms, they were strictly taboo in Corona. Tattoos were seen as an insult to the heavens, cheapening the value of the soul marks everyone received at age 18. So, if someone had a manmade tattoo, they were probably dangerously far past caring about social stigmas.

                Flynn put on his best poker face and continued leading Rapunzel into the tavern. His left hand was on the small of her back, and his right hand ghosted over the dagger he had concealed on the right side of his body.

                The crowd was suspiciously quiet since Flynn had opened the door, and he was rethinking his decision to bring Rapunzel here. A man with skulls tattooed on both of his shoulders grabbed Rapunzel’s hair as they pair walked past him.

                “That’s a lot of hair,” he said, letting her golden locks pass through his fingers unimpeded.

                “She’s growing it out,” Flynn snarled, snatching his soulmate’s hair from the stranger’s hands. The broad man met his gaze without flinching. Things probably would have escalated between them if Rapunzel hadn’t exclaimed suddenly. The petite young woman had accidentally backed into a man the size of a brick wall, inked on every visible inch of skin, and he was glaring at her in distaste.

                Flynn hastened to her side to diffuse the situation. “Terribly sorry, she’s blind in one eye and her depth perception is off,” Flynn said, grinning sheepishly as he pulled Rapunzel to his side.

                The man made a low growling noise in his throat in acknowledgement and turned back to his beer. Flynn sighed quietly in relief, but the relief was short lived. Flynn grabbed Rapunzel by the shoulders and guided her back towards the door.

                “You know,” Flynn said, “I have the feeling that this establishment has changed ownership since I was last here, so maybe we’d be better off finding a different place for lunch.

                “Oh, um, okay,” Rapunzel said, her voice barely even quivering. Flynn was so proud.

                They had almost made it to the door when a man wearing a large horned helmet, who Flynn felt he almost recognized, slammed the door shut.

                Rapunzel stepped behind Flynn, nervously pressing closer to him. Flynn tried not to nice how warm she was, or how she smelled like paint and hazelnuts.

                The man who had slammed the door shut held a wanted poster in his hand.

                “Is this you?” he growled.

                Flynn took a closer look at the poster, noticing it was in fact a wanted poster that called for the arrest of Flynn Rider. However, the nose was grotesquely exaggerated. Flynn’s depiction on the poster more closely resembled a snowman than his actual face.

                “Well now they’re just being mean,” he grumbled.

                “Oh, it’s him alright,” said a bulky man who had a hook where his left hand presumably used to be. “Greta, go find some guards!”

                A man that Flynn assumed was Greta nodded and darted out the front door.

                “Your reward money is gonna buy me a new hook,” the man said, taking a step towards Flynn and making a move to grab him.

                “Gentlemen please, let’s be smart about this,” Flynn tried to deescalate the situation, taking a step backwards. “Really, I’m about to come into a large sum of gold that far outweighs my reward money. And what makes you think that the guards would give any money to a bunch of _inkonoclasts?_ ” Flynn emphasized that last word, not so subtly gesturing to one of the many tattoos in the room.

                The room fell silent for the first time since Flynn and Rapunzel had arrived. To say that the word “inkonoclast” was not a nice word would be a gross understatement, and saying it so boldly was all but unheard of. It was usually muttered under breath or whispered across a room like a shameful secret.

                “That’s rich!” A drunk old man Flynn recognized from his first trip to the Snuggly Duckling popped out of a barrel at the end of the bar. “I happen to have the knowledge that your mother was a loveslate! Which means, obviously, you were born from a voidbond. Which means we outrank you!” The old man grinned shamelessly at Flynn through bleary eyes. Flynn quickly glanced at Rapunzel, who was still hiding behind him, trying to see how she was reacting to that news. His soulmate just looked slightly nervous, but not as if this new revelation had shaken her in any way. It occurred to Flynn that she may have never heard these terms before.

                “Alright well first of all, Shorty, I told you that in confidence,” Flynn said smoothly, his voice not betraying his anger, “And second of all, that makes no sense whatsoever, no one here is ranked. I’d wager we’re all equally disgusting in the eyes of the law and the church, so what we should do is stick together in situations like these. No amount of monetary compensation can provide the feeling of community we gain by sticking together.”

                The silence lasted a brief moment, before someone in the back of the crowd cried out, “I’d rather have the money!”

                “I could use the money!”             

                “What about me?! I’m broke!”

                “Your spending habits aren’t my problem, Vladimir!”

                The crowd grew angrier and louder as it advanced on him. Flynn turned to Rapunzel, grabbing her wrist.

                “You’ve gotta get out of here, blondie, things are about to get bad,” Flynn moved his hand from her wrist up to her elbow, and then her shoulder, hoping the movement would draw everyone’s eye while he reached for his dagger with his free hand. The movement remained incomplete as a large hand grabbed Flynn by the back of the neck and spun him around. The man with the hook stood before him, axe drawn. Flynn’s eyes widened, and he took a step back.

                “I don’t believe I caught your name, sir,” Flynn said, going for his dagger again.

                “Move your hand again and I’ll cut it off,” his assailant growled.

                “Ah, that’s a lovely name, a bit long though,” Flynn laughed, but he didn’t have the chance to move his hand again before Rapunzel pushed her way between the two men and swung her frying pan up into the man’s jaw.

                The man stumbled backwards at the impact, bringing his hand up to rub his jaw. Flynn was slightly annoyed that he didn’t get knocked out.

                Rapunzel’s attack had stunned everyone into silence, and she herself seemed surprised by her action. However, the unexpected act of violence provided the young woman a chance to speak her mind.

                “Okay, I’m sorry about that but I need this man to stay safe and you have a very large axe. As well as a hook, for a hand, and all I have is this frying pan. Look, I don’t know where I am,” she continued, her voice pleading as she looked around at the weathered faces for even a hint of sympathy. “I need him to take me to see the lanterns because I’ve been dreaming about them my whole life!”

Flynn was startled to see that tears had formed in Rapunzel’s eyes.

                “I mean, please! Find your humanity,” she begged, “Haven’t any of you ever had a dream?”

                The man she had just walloped with a cast iron skillet recovered from his shock and stared at her intensely. He began walking towards her, and Rapunzel instinctively took a step backwards, bumping into Flynn.

                But the man walked straight past Rapunzel, went behind the bar, and poured himself a drink. The room was silent, except for a few hushed whispers and some drunken hiccups from Shorty, as they watched him down the drink in one go.

                “I had a dream, once,” he admitted, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

                Rapunzel walked up to the bar and pulled out a stool. “Why don’t you tell me about it?” she said sweetly, sitting down.

                The man let out a breath that was half laugh, half sigh. “I’m mean, I’m scary, I’m covered in all these heretical tattoos, and violence wise, let’s just say that my hands are not the cleanest.” The man laughed in earnest this time and poured himself another drink. “But despite my looks, my criminal record, and my hook…” The man trailed off, finishing his drink, “I’ve always wanted to be a concert pianist. Can’t you just see me on the stage, tickling the ivories ‘til they gleam? And I know, I know it’s not likely, or even possible. I mean, my name is Hookhand for shit’s sake. I literally have a hook for a hand!” Hookhand paused, looking at Rapunzel to see how she was reacting to his story. She smiled encouragingly, leaning forward to listen.

                “It’s a better name than Bignose,” muttered Bignose, coming to sit on the stool beside Rapunzel.

                “Hookhand, I would love to come to one of your concerts one day,” Rapunzel said sincerely, “And I know Flynn would too. Right, Flynn?”

                “That’s right!” Flynn said quickly, taking the seat on the other side of Rapunzel. “I’m an avid supporter of the arts and sciences. But mostly the arts,” Flynn took a page out of Rapunzel’s book and gave Hookhand his most genuine smile. Hookhand looked at him skeptically for a second, before shrugging and pouring him a beer. Flynn took the pewter stein gratefully. Normally, the thief tried to refrain from drinking in the company of people he didn’t know but he had had a very long and stressful day and decided to make an exception. Flynn took a swig of the beer and sighed, already feeling the warmth spreading through his body. That’s what he had missed most about this region of Corona, the beer was so much stronger here in comparison to the rest of the kingdom.

                Hookhand poured a second mug, holding it out to Rapunzel.

                “Oh, no thank you,” she declined politely, “I believe mother once mentioned you had to be 18 to drink and I won’t be 18 until tomorrow.”

                Flynn almost choked on his beer, launching himself into a huge coughing fit. Rapunzel looked at him, concerned, but he waved dismissively.

                “I’m fine,” he croaked. He took a few gulps of beer, trying to calm himself down. Flynn had been agonizing over why Rapunzel didn’t acknowledge him as her soulmate, and the entire time she wasn’t even 18 yet. She didn’t even have a soul mark; how could she know they were soul mates?

                “Do we look like the kind of place that has a liquor license?” Hookhand laughed but passed the mug to Bignose instead.

                Bignose sighed. “Oh, to be 17 again. To be filled with such hope, to still wonder what your future holds. There’s nothing for me, I know that now. No soulmate, no hope,” He finished his drink in one go and reached over the bar to pour himself another. Flynn noticed that Bignose was the only man in here without tattoos. The two men met eyes, and Bignose smiled sadly at him. He mouthed the word _“loveslate,”_ gesturing to himself.

                “There’s still hope!” Rapunzel said, “I know you have a soulmate out there somewhere.” She smiled warmly, placing her hand on Bignose’s forearm. “Promise me you won’t give up on your dream just yet, okay?”

                “You really think they’re out there, don’t you?” Bignose laughed, trying to be dismissive, but Flynn thought he could hear a bit of hopefulness creeping into his voice.

                Rapunzel nodded vigorously. “I’m sure of it.”

                Bignose hummed, reaching for his drink. “Hey Hookhand, maybe when I meet my soulmate I’ll bring them to one of your concerts.”

                Hookhand let out a bark of laughter. “I’ll make sure to dedicate a song to the lovebirds!” He said, rising his stein up in the air. “To Bignose! And his soulmate!” The motion was met with cheers. The Snuggly Duckling’s patrons had started to relax, most of them were sitting back down at the tables they had abandoned when the commotion had started.

                Rapunzel climbed on top of the bar, grabbing Flynn’s drink. “To Hookhand’s musical career!” she cried, “and to everyone else’s dreams! You, what’s your dream?” Rapunzel pointed to a random person in the room.

                “I- I make really good cupcakes,” the man ventured, pointing his face shyly towards the ground.

                “That’s fantastic! I’d love to try them some day!” Rapunzel exclaimed.

                “I wanna quit and be a florist!” A bearded man shouted, standing up on his chair.

                “You’re a damn good florist, Toll!” Hookhand bellowed back at him.

                ‘Come on, people, who else has a dream?!” Rapunzel had to shout to be heard above the clamor of the tavern, but the men paid attention and began responding to her, their excited confessions overlapping one another. Flynn thought he could make out words like mime, puppet shows, and interior design being thrown around.

                He shook his head, looking at his soulmate in awe. She was incredible, she had gotten all of these men to put down their arms and united them all with the power of dreams.

                “What’s your dream again?” Shorty slurred, stumbling by the bar.

                “Oh, I just want to see those floating lanterns gleaming in the night sky,” Rapunzel sighed, “You know, I’m so glad I left my tower. I would have never met all you lovely folks if I had stayed inside.”

                Flynn chuckled, and ducked behind the bar to check out what other drinks they had on hand. Briefly, he wondered what their experience had been like if the Snuggly Duckling had still been the same quaint little farmer’s hangout he had found that day he’d left the orphanage.

                “What about you?”

                Flynn looked up and saw Rapunzel, staring down at him.

                “I’m sorry, me?” He asked, reaching for a glass bottle full of clear liquid. He found a shot glass and quickly filled it up.

                “Yeah,” Hookhand chimed in. “What’s your dream?”

                Flynn glanced briefly at Rapunzel, who smiled at him in encouragement.

                “Try not to think about that kind of stuff, actually. Seems a bit touchy feely, dangerous even,” Flynn said, shrugging as he put the bottle away.

                Rapunzel and Hookhand exchanged unimpressed looks as Bignose interjected.

                “I’m not buying it!” Bignose pointed a dagger at Flynn, “Get talking!”

                “Good god,” Flynn muttered, taking his shot. The burn was instantaneous, but it felt good. “Fine, alright, um…. I always thought it would be nice to live on a warm and sunny island, that I own. I’d be tan and rested, and with my…” Flynn hesitated, looking up at Rapunzel, “My enormous piles of money,” he finished lamely. “Enough about me, let’s hear from Vladimir! Vlad, my man, what’s your dream?” Flynn asked, rushing towards Vlad

                “I collect ceramic unicorns!” Vladimir declared, looking around at the crowd as if to challenge anyone to mock him. Considering Vladimir was size of a small mountain, no one did.

                “That’s fascinating,” Flynn said without skipping a beat, “Please tell me many details about this. Do you have any with you?” To his delight, Vladimir retrieved two small ceramic unicorns from a pouch on his belt.

                “Absolutely breathtaking,” Flynn said, “You must be very proud.” Flynn turned around to call Rapunzel over, and found himself face to face with someone he recognized from a few petty thievery jobs back in the day.

                “Ah, Bruiser,” Flynn said, suddenly on edge. “How are you? It’s been some time.”

                “Yeah, it has been. Nice to see you’re still around. Kingdom is really cracking down on us,” Bruiser said, taking a swig of his drink. “Too bad about Lance, though.”

                Flynn’s pulse began racing. “What about Lance?” he asked, suddenly feeling very serious.

                Bruiser opened his mouth to reply, when the front door burst open, flooding the room with light. Flynn squinted and saw Greta standing in the doorframe, panting.

                “I found the guards!” he crowed triumphantly.

                “Shit,” Flynn hissed, pushing past Bruiser to get to Rapunzel.

                “We’ve gotta get out of here,” he whispered, dragging her behind the bar. They crouched out of sight.

                “How?” she whispered.

                “Good question,” he answered, “I’ll have to get back to you on that.”

 

~*~

_'Cause I can't show you, I'm not as cold as I seem,_

_there are things you cannot know_

_And it's dangerous to dream_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note:  
> A million years passed between this chapter and the last one, because all of my coworkers were like “oh hey, let’s go on vacation” and your girl was STRESSED. But it was a lot of fun and very worth it. again, thank you to the two guest users who left me kudos, this update it for you <3 please come talk to me on my tumblr if you wish, thecrocodilewrites
> 
> Song credit: Dangerous to Dream, Frozen on Broadway

**Author's Note:**

> Hey MTV welcome to my self-indulgent soulmate AU for Tangled, featuring three of my favorite things, soulmate AUs, Rapunzel/Eugene, and lack of communication due to self-depreciation. Projected length for this is 12 chapters, as well as a prologue and epilogue. (so, 14 basically) come chat with me on tumblr about it if you wish, I’m thecrocodilewrites. Title of the fic comes from “Forever Yours,” from the Broadway musical “Once on This Island.” Due to the presence of soul marks, Rapunzel’s hair, and the fact that Gothel is definitely a witch, I have decided to make this a semi magical au. It’s not going to change the story too much, but it will explain things like Max’s terrifying level of intelligence and his previously inexplicable moral compass.  
> song credit: Forever Yours, Once on This Island
> 
> (PS, i will always give a content warning at the beginning of chapter, after the summary. I expect this to stay pretty mild, as it is based off of a Disney movie, but I may make Eugene/Flynn more pg-13)


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